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Eyewitness to Murder
and his twin | Special = | Introducing = | and = | Appearance = | Also = | Co = | With = | Uncredited = | Uncertain = | Producer = Sam Strangis Donald R. Boyle | Writer = William Driskill | Teleplay = | Story = | Director = Alf Kjellin | Production = 40023 | Original = 8 March 1974 | Prev = Doomsday, and Counting | Next = The Rescue of Athena One | Related = • prequel to "Steve Austin, Fugitive" }} Steve witnesses a murder, identifying the killer with his bionic eye. But when the man presents an airtight alibi, Steve and Oscar are left with a mystery. Summary Late one night, Steve Austin witnesses the fatal shooting of a man. Using his bionic vision, he clearly identifies the sniper but is unable to catch him before he escapes. Later, it is confirmed that the victim was a member of the legal team of leading lawyer Lorin Sandusky, who is in the process of presenting evidence to the grand jury of racketeer Victor Ritchie. The statute of limitations means that the charges against Mr. Ritchie will expire at 9:00 am in two days time, and both the local police and Oscar Goldman of the OSI are concerned that a further attempt will be made to take Mr. Sandusky’s life before then. Steve is therefore assigned the task of protecting him. The following day, a preliminary hearing is scheduled to take place at 1:00 pm, and as Mr. Sandusky and his entourage are entering the courthouse, Steve spots the assassin from the night before and apprehends him before he is able to escape in a taxi. At the police station, the killer is identified as John Hopper. However, Hopper has a watertight alibi - he was on a live TV show in Milwaukee at the same time the fatal shot was fired. Knowing that he has identified the right man, Steve closely follows Hopper and stakes out his hotel overnight. Early next morning – the day the grand jury is due to deliver its verdict in the Ritchie case – Steve again closely follows Hopper from his hotel. However, he is unaware that Hopper has an identical twin brother and that he is, in fact, following the twin. Meanwhile, the real Hopper, disguised as a police officer, conceals himself on a rooftop overlooking the courthouse and prepares to shoot Sandusky as he arrives. Steve continues to watch ‘Hopper’ closely, but as he studies him with his bionic eye, he notices a distinguishing mark on his face. The full reality of what is happening suddenly dawns on Steve, and he runs as fast as he can to the courthouse where he manages to attack and disarm Hopper just as he is about to pull the trigger. Hopper’s twin brother is also taken in by Steve at his hotel soon afterwards. Mr. Sandusky secures indictments from the grand jury on all charges. Deconstructed Quotes Steve: The day that I see a murder and don't do anything about it, then this million bucks worth of technology I'm carrying around in my eye isn't worth two cents. ---- Steve: You're so caught up in the loftier issues, you can't see the simple fact that I witnessed a murder. Oscar: You are forgetting the fact that our investment in you is precisely for the... what did you say, the loftier issues? That's good. You are employed exclusively in situations that require your unique and special attention. ---- Oscar: Listen, you're The Six Million Dollar Man, but you're not infallible. ---- Sandusky: How did you recognize him in the dark like that? Steve: Well, I eat a lot of carrots. Trivia * Oscar refers to Steve as "The Six Million Dollar Man" - the first time this phrase is used on screen, one of few. * Steve indicates that his bionic eye cost one million dollars. * As he had done in "Wine, Women and War" — and would do again in "Taneha" — Steve explains away his ability to see in the dark to eating a lot of carrots. * As Steve races to prevent Hopper's final act, the film is briefly sped up to show bionic speed. * The scenes at the end of the episode in which Steve follows Hopper's twin to the beach were filmed in Santa Monica, CA. Nitpicks * After Steve rips the door off the cab, the driver tries to reapply it. The door's locking mechanism is missing. Gallery Sandusky.png|Lorin Sandusky 107